“Not buying it,” Caitlyn said. “You're both gorgeous. Just depends on if you like your men dark and mysterious, or light and—”
“Annoying,” Kellen supplied.
“I was going to say sweet,” Caitlyn said.
“I’m not sweet.”
He totally was. In the limo, Kellen had only validated what she’d already suspected. “I mean excellent in bed.”
“Kellen’s excellent in bed too,” Owen said.
“I can only speak from personal experience.”
“I think I’m better in bed than he is now.” Owen’s thigh tightened beneath Caitlyn’s hand as he kicked Kellen under the table. “He’s out of practice.”
Kellen didn’t seem to mind the taunt, though he didn’t hesitate in returning Owen’s kick.
“You're also a troublemaker,” Caitlyn said.
“One of my most endearing qualities,” Owen said.
“You get used to it,” Kellen said. “He doesn't know how to stay out of trouble. It's like he was born for the sole purpose of getting into trouble.”
“Kellen's just jealous because he's forgotten how to have fun.”
“That's a shame,” Caitlyn said. “I spent the last ten years of my life forgetting how to have fun. It's starting to come back to me, thanks to Owen here. And you have him around all the time.”
“I think I’m all funned out,” Kellen said.
“Speaking of fun… Wanna dance?” Owen asked her.
She gawked at him. “Dance? Here? But…” She rummaged through her brain for an excuse. “There's no music.”
Owen pulled his smartphone out of his pocket and started his playlist. The tiny speaker sounded awful, but they had music. Very hard and heavy music. Caitlyn frowned. “Is that one of your songs?”
“Yeah,” he said, “do you like it?”
“Not especially,” she shouted. Even though the music wasn't loud, she felt compelled to yell when confronted by the sounds blaring from the speaker.
“What kind of music do you listen to?” he asked.
She hesitated, looking from one musician to the next. She couldn’t lie about it. It would be much too easy to catch her at it. “I… uh… I don't listen to music.”
Based on the look Owen gave her, she must have contracted a severe case of purple Chicken Pox.
“You're kidding,” he said.
“No. I mostly listen to podcasts. And, well, I'm a fan of silence.”
She reached over and muted the song blasting from the speaker. Much better.
“Have you ever even been to a concert?”
“Oh, sure. Charles took me to the symphony once.” She’d even bought a new dress for the occasion and had worn it exactly once.
“Symphony? That doesn’t count. What about a rock concert?”
She bit her lip. She was about to lose her cool-card. “Never been.”
Owen gaped at her. Her pox must have started seeping blueberry jelly.
“Inconceivable,” Owen said. “That needs to change.”
“I agree,” Kellen said.
“Tomorrow night we play in Houston. You're going.”
She might be able to handle a Journey or .38 Special concert, but Sole Regret? If the ten seconds of music from Owen’s smartphone had made her ears bleed, what would an entire show do to her? Make her head explode?
“I couldn't possibly,” she said.
“Do you have other plans?”
“Yes, actually. I came to San Antonio to visit Jenna, and I've hardly spent any time with her yet.” Nice save.
“She can come with you.”
“She has to work.”
“So you can come with us—”
“On the tour bus?” Kellen interrupted.
“Yes, on the tour bus.”
“I don't think that's a good idea.”
Caitlyn wondered why. Considering the kind of clubs these guys frequented, she could only imagine the kind of debauchery that occurred on that tour bus.
“I didn't ask for your opinion,” Owen said to Kellen. Then he turned his attention back to Caitlyn. “You can come with us, and I'll send you back to San Antonio—in a limo if you want—to return to visit your friend.”
“I honestly don't think I'd like it.”
“You have to try it at least once. I can't be seen in public with a woman who's never been to a rock concert before.”
She chuckled. “Well I wouldn't want to ruin your reputation.”
“It was ruined years ago,” Kellen assured her.
“So is that a yes?” Owen pressed.
“I could save your reputation by asking you to take me someplace private,” she said. “Then you wouldn’t have to be seen with me in public.”
“Damn, woman. You’re killing me.”
“Smart girls,” Kellen said. “They pay attention to what you actually say and use it against you.”
She hadn’t meant to use anything Owen said against him. She just enjoyed their easy banter. “I’ll go,” she said decisively. Kellen’s wink made her realize that she’d just been outsmarted by a rock star. Damn it!
“Awesome,” Owen said. “I was trying to think up an excuse to get her to have sex with me on the tour bus. This played out perfectly.” He glanced at Caitlyn when she gasped. “Did I just say that aloud?”
She laughed. “Unless I’m imagining things.”
“I think she's onto me,” he said to Kellen.
Kellen scratched his nose. “Since you tend to show all your cards, I'm not surprised.”
“I don't show all my cards. I still have an ace or two up my sleeve. Did you know dancing with a woman is a great method of seduction? If you move to their liking, they subconsciously think you’ll be compatible in bed.”
“You made that up,” Kellen said.
“Did I?” Owen took Caitlyn’s hand in his and caught her gaze. As she stared into his eyes, her heart thudded faster and faster. Her palm became increasingly damp. “Caitlyn, may I have this dance?”
Her first instinct was to accept, but then the rattling of dishes in the diner’s kitchen reminded her where she was.
“I'm not going to dance with you here,” Caitlyn said in a loud whisper.
“Why not? We have music. I'll even download your favorite song if you'd like.”
“This isn't the kind of place where you dance.”
Owen looked at Kellen. “Name three places where I would never dance.”
“Annoying,” Kellen supplied.
“I was going to say sweet,” Caitlyn said.
“I’m not sweet.”
He totally was. In the limo, Kellen had only validated what she’d already suspected. “I mean excellent in bed.”
“Kellen’s excellent in bed too,” Owen said.
“I can only speak from personal experience.”
“I think I’m better in bed than he is now.” Owen’s thigh tightened beneath Caitlyn’s hand as he kicked Kellen under the table. “He’s out of practice.”
Kellen didn’t seem to mind the taunt, though he didn’t hesitate in returning Owen’s kick.
“You're also a troublemaker,” Caitlyn said.
“One of my most endearing qualities,” Owen said.
“You get used to it,” Kellen said. “He doesn't know how to stay out of trouble. It's like he was born for the sole purpose of getting into trouble.”
“Kellen's just jealous because he's forgotten how to have fun.”
“That's a shame,” Caitlyn said. “I spent the last ten years of my life forgetting how to have fun. It's starting to come back to me, thanks to Owen here. And you have him around all the time.”
“I think I’m all funned out,” Kellen said.
“Speaking of fun… Wanna dance?” Owen asked her.
She gawked at him. “Dance? Here? But…” She rummaged through her brain for an excuse. “There's no music.”
Owen pulled his smartphone out of his pocket and started his playlist. The tiny speaker sounded awful, but they had music. Very hard and heavy music. Caitlyn frowned. “Is that one of your songs?”
“Yeah,” he said, “do you like it?”
“Not especially,” she shouted. Even though the music wasn't loud, she felt compelled to yell when confronted by the sounds blaring from the speaker.
“What kind of music do you listen to?” he asked.
She hesitated, looking from one musician to the next. She couldn’t lie about it. It would be much too easy to catch her at it. “I… uh… I don't listen to music.”
Based on the look Owen gave her, she must have contracted a severe case of purple Chicken Pox.
“You're kidding,” he said.
“No. I mostly listen to podcasts. And, well, I'm a fan of silence.”
She reached over and muted the song blasting from the speaker. Much better.
“Have you ever even been to a concert?”
“Oh, sure. Charles took me to the symphony once.” She’d even bought a new dress for the occasion and had worn it exactly once.
“Symphony? That doesn’t count. What about a rock concert?”
She bit her lip. She was about to lose her cool-card. “Never been.”
Owen gaped at her. Her pox must have started seeping blueberry jelly.
“Inconceivable,” Owen said. “That needs to change.”
“I agree,” Kellen said.
“Tomorrow night we play in Houston. You're going.”
She might be able to handle a Journey or .38 Special concert, but Sole Regret? If the ten seconds of music from Owen’s smartphone had made her ears bleed, what would an entire show do to her? Make her head explode?
“I couldn't possibly,” she said.
“Do you have other plans?”
“Yes, actually. I came to San Antonio to visit Jenna, and I've hardly spent any time with her yet.” Nice save.
“She can come with you.”
“She has to work.”
“So you can come with us—”
“On the tour bus?” Kellen interrupted.
“Yes, on the tour bus.”
“I don't think that's a good idea.”
Caitlyn wondered why. Considering the kind of clubs these guys frequented, she could only imagine the kind of debauchery that occurred on that tour bus.
“I didn't ask for your opinion,” Owen said to Kellen. Then he turned his attention back to Caitlyn. “You can come with us, and I'll send you back to San Antonio—in a limo if you want—to return to visit your friend.”
“I honestly don't think I'd like it.”
“You have to try it at least once. I can't be seen in public with a woman who's never been to a rock concert before.”
She chuckled. “Well I wouldn't want to ruin your reputation.”
“It was ruined years ago,” Kellen assured her.
“So is that a yes?” Owen pressed.
“I could save your reputation by asking you to take me someplace private,” she said. “Then you wouldn’t have to be seen with me in public.”
“Damn, woman. You’re killing me.”
“Smart girls,” Kellen said. “They pay attention to what you actually say and use it against you.”
She hadn’t meant to use anything Owen said against him. She just enjoyed their easy banter. “I’ll go,” she said decisively. Kellen’s wink made her realize that she’d just been outsmarted by a rock star. Damn it!
“Awesome,” Owen said. “I was trying to think up an excuse to get her to have sex with me on the tour bus. This played out perfectly.” He glanced at Caitlyn when she gasped. “Did I just say that aloud?”
She laughed. “Unless I’m imagining things.”
“I think she's onto me,” he said to Kellen.
Kellen scratched his nose. “Since you tend to show all your cards, I'm not surprised.”
“I don't show all my cards. I still have an ace or two up my sleeve. Did you know dancing with a woman is a great method of seduction? If you move to their liking, they subconsciously think you’ll be compatible in bed.”
“You made that up,” Kellen said.
“Did I?” Owen took Caitlyn’s hand in his and caught her gaze. As she stared into his eyes, her heart thudded faster and faster. Her palm became increasingly damp. “Caitlyn, may I have this dance?”
Her first instinct was to accept, but then the rattling of dishes in the diner’s kitchen reminded her where she was.
“I'm not going to dance with you here,” Caitlyn said in a loud whisper.
“Why not? We have music. I'll even download your favorite song if you'd like.”
“This isn't the kind of place where you dance.”
Owen looked at Kellen. “Name three places where I would never dance.”
